Outlet box attaching means



Oct. 23, 1934. ca. P. SCHWABACHER 1,978,331

I OUTLET BOX ATTACHING MEANS Filed Dec. 29. 19:53

'Figl.

Inventof: Gerhard F gPwabachen His Atco'rneg.

Patented Oct. 23, 1934 OUTLET BOX ATTAOHINGI'MEANS Gerhard P. Schwabacher, Bridgeport, an...

f signor'to General ElectridC'dinpany, a corpqrationof New Yor ApplicatiomDecember-l 29, 1933, Serial No. 704,495

Claimsi (0155;47:21)

This invention relates generally to switch boxes and is directed more particularly to the meanssecured to "said boxes-for attachingthem-to building structures.

5 It is anobject of the presentinvention to provide attaching members which are secured-toa switch box but are adjustable either to a positionlying in the same plane as the upper edge'of the 5 box or to a position ofisetfrom theedge'of the 10 box.

pivoted to a wall of the box. By rotating the earsto a position lying in the same plane asth'eedge of the box, the ears are caused to abutagainst, andto align with, one another to form an attaching member in the same plane as the edge of the box.-; By rotating the ears to a 'posi-- .tion ofiset from the edge of the box the ears are ZO caused to abut against and to align with one another to form an attaching member offset from the edge of the box.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent upon reference to the following detailed; description and to the drawing inwhich Fig. lillustrates a switch box with the attaching member offset g from the edge ofthe box; Fig. 2 illustrates the at taching member in the same plane as" the outer edge of the box; and Fig. 3 shows the manner of attaching the ears to a wall of the boxz'" Referring now to the drawing, the body'of theswitch box may be of any common'or'suitable form having the usual bottom (not shown) ,side Walls 1. and end walls 2 which in this case are rec-. -tangular. The end wall 2 is provided with the usual knockout openings 3 for the introduction of electric conduits (not shown). Extending out-"- wardly from theupper edge 40f theend wall 2 is a lug 5 provided with a threaded hole 6 afiording 'ing enclosing the lug 5. The second portions of rneans for attaching to the end wall of thebox a wiring device (not shown) positioned"within* the box.

Two ears 7 and 8 secured to each end wall 2 cooperate to form the attaching member which is adjustable to the two positions mentioned above. Each ear is formed from a blank having a first portion provided with an opening 9 and an arm 10 and a second portion substantially perpendicular to the first portion and provided with an o'pening 11 and with the oppositely disposed arms 12 and 13. Each ear 7 and 8 is rotatably pivoted to the end walls 2 by swedging part of the ear through an opening 14 of the end wall and spinning this part over on the inside of the wall v as shown at 15 in Fig. 3.

In carrying out this object the attaching mem bers are each provided with two cars rotatably When it *is'desired to have the attaching mem ber 'offset from the upper edge 4 of the end wall '2, the ears 7 'and- 8 are'rotated in opposite directions to the position shownin Fig. 1. In this positionth'earms 10 and 13 of the ear 7 abut against, orbear-upon, the-anns 10 and 13 of the'ear 8. The second portions of-"the ears are accordingly aligned to form an attaching member offset from the-upperedge of the box while the-abuttingarrns wand 13 prevent any undesired movement of the alignedears. By'means of the openings 11 in the aligned-ears 7 and-8 the switch box can then be ---secured-to the wall structureywith itsupper portionofiset from the wall." 1

A wiring device (not shown) is disposed within the' boxand mounted uponthe end walls 2.

In orderto have the face of this device fiush with 1 thewall surface it issometimes necessary to raise it slightly by means of supportswhich rest "on the plaster surface orby mounting it on washers disposed onthe'lugsb. The screws or bolts (not shown) which serve to "fasten the wiring device to the 1ugs'5 must accordingly be madeof suffi cient length to permit the device to be raised in the manner mentioned. --'ro permit the screws I or 'bolts'from striking against the attaching mem- ..ber* when the wiring device isnot thus raised, theears'aredesigned to form an opening 16 when they are in theposition shown in Fig. 1.-

When it isdesired to have the'attaching memi berin-thesameplane as the upper edge 4 of the Q endwall 2, tlie'ears 7 and 8 are rotated relatively to one another in opposite directions and counter to their first direction of rotationto the position in Fig.2. This'position is 180? distant from the position of 'the attaching member'shown in Fig. 1. b In this position thearms 12 of each ear abutorbear upon one another and these arms are'so designed that they then provide an openthe aligned ears afford means for securing the switch box to the wall structure but in this case the box is attached to the wall structure with its upper edge in the same plane as the wall surface.

1 The invention provides a novel means for adjusting the attaching member of a switch box or other receptacle to the two positions required by the conditions met with when installing such boxes. By providing the adjustable supporting member with two separate ears rotatably pivoted to the end wall, the supporting member can be adjusted to either of the two required positions by a simple rotation of each of the ears. At the same time the abutting arms of the ears prevent any undesired movement on the part of the aligned ears.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the'United States is:

a plurality of walls, of a plurality of ears movable relatively to one another and rotatably pivoted, to one of said walls, means for aligning said ears when they are rotated to one position to form a composite supporting member forthe box and other means for aligning said ears when they are rotated to another position to form a pivoted to one of said walls, means for aligning said ears to form a composite supporting memher for the box when they are rotated to a position lying in the same plane as the upper edge of said wall, and other means for aligning said ears to form a similar composite supporting member for thebox when they are rotated to another position offset from the edge of said wall,

a plurality of wa1ls,,of a plurality of ears movable relatively to one another and rotatably pivoted to one of said walls, means for aligning said ears to form a composite supporting member when they are rotated to one position and other they are rotated to another position substantially 180 distant from the first position. h

4. The combination with a switch boxhaving a plurality of walls, of a plurality of-ears movable one of said walls, a first and asecond set of arms on said ears, said first-set of arms cooperating to align the ears when they are rotated to one position to formoa composite supporting member for the box, and said second set of arms cooperating to align the ears when they,

are rotated to anotherposition to form a similar composite supporting member for the box. I l

5. The combination witha switch box having a plurality of walls, of a plurality of earsmovable relatively to one another and rotatably pivoted to one of said walls, a first and-a second set of arms on said ears, said first set of cars co operating to align the ears when they are roa plurality of walls, of a plurality of ears movable relatively to one another and rotatably pivoted to one of said walls, a first and a second set of arms on said ears, said first set of ears cooperating to align the ears when they are rotated in opposite directions. to one position to form a composite supporting member iorthe box, and said secondsetlof arms cooperating to align 1. The combination with a switch box having the ears when they are rotated inthe opposite direction to a second position substantially 180 distant from the first position to form a similar composite supporting member for the box. v

'7. The combination with a switch box having an attaching lugprojecting outwardly from one of its wallsja pairbiears movable relatively to 'each otherand rotatably pivoted to said wall,

means for aligning said ears when they are rotated to one positionto form a composite supporting member for the box which encloses said lug, and other means for aligning said ears when they are'rotated to another, position to form a composite supporting member for the box provided with an opening opposite said lug; v

8. The combination with a switch box'having anattaching lug projecting outwardly from one of itswalls, a pair of ears movable relatively to each other and rotatably pivoted to -said wall, .means for aligning said ears when they are rotated to one position to form a composite sup,- 3. The combination witha switch box having porting member for the box which encloses said lug, and other meansfor aligning said ears when they are rotated to another position 180 degrees distant from the first position to form a composite supporting member for the box provided with an opening opposite said lug.

9. The combination with a switchbox having an attaching lug projecting outwardly from one of its walls, a'pair of ears movable relatively to each other and rotatably pivoted to said wall,

means for aligning said ears when they are rotated to one position lying in the same plane as relatively to one another and rotatably pivoted to the outer edge of the box to form a composite supporting member for the box enclosing said lug and other means for aligning said ears when they are rotated to anotherposition opposite from the each other and rotatablypivoted to said wall, a first'and a second set of arms on said ears, said first set of arms cooperating to align the ears when they are rotated to one position to form a composite supporting member for the box which encloses said lug, and said second set of arms 00- operating to align said ears when they are rotated to another position to form a composite supporting member for the box provided with an opening opposite said lug.

GERHARD P. SCHWABACHER. 

